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Boycott
Boycott - a word whose meaning is known the world over. But it once belonged to a man.
Two brothers, Owen and Thomas Joyce, barely survive the horror of the great famine that devastated Ireland in the 1840s. But it left a lasting effect on both of them. Three decades later they are thrown together during the Land War, when evictions and landlord cruelty reach an intolerable level. But Thomas places his trust in the gun, while Owen backs the passive resistance advocated by the Land League. Captain Charles Boycott, an English land agent in Mayo, becomes the first to suffer this new form of revolt, when he and his family are ostracised. It is a David versus Goliath situation, with Boycott supported by the military, the police, the press, the British Government. How can peasants stand against an empire? And how will the two brothers reconcile their differences and confront their troubled past?
A novel of brotherly love and brotherly conflict.
Two brothers, Owen and Thomas Joyce, barely survive the horror of the great famine that devastated Ireland in the 1840s. But it left a lasting effect on both of them. Three decades later they are thrown together during the Land War, when evictions and landlord cruelty reach an intolerable level. But Thomas places his trust in the gun, while Owen backs the passive resistance advocated by the Land League. Captain Charles Boycott, an English land agent in Mayo, becomes the first to suffer this new form of revolt, when he and his family are ostracised. It is a David versus Goliath situation, with Boycott supported by the military, the police, the press, the British Government. How can peasants stand against an empire? And how will the two brothers reconcile their differences and confront their troubled past?
A novel of brotherly love and brotherly conflict.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
576 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2012
7 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Colin C. Murphy
17 books1 followerColin C. Murphy is the author of the critically acclaimed historical novels ‘Boycott’, the epic story behind the man who unwittingly gave his name to the English language,
and ‘The Lost Voices’ trilogy, which is set in ancient Pompeii and based around the hundreds of graffiti the actual inhabitants left behind. He has also penned numerous historical non-fiction books such as ‘What Have The Romans Ever Done For Us?’ ‘The Priest Hunters’ and ‘Fierce History.’ Formerly a multi-award winning creative director of an advertising agency, he quit the business a decade ago for his first professional love, writing. He has had a fascination with the ancient Roman world since childhood, and has researched extensively in Rome, Pompeii, Ostia Antica, El-Jem in Tunisia, Arles in France and Italica in Spain. He also has a love of history in general, and is particularly interested in exploring the lives and stories of the past’s lesser known, yet no less fascinating, men and women. When not writing or travelling he enjoys hillwalking, and has climbed every mountain in Ireland. He lives in Dublin with his family.
and ‘The Lost Voices’ trilogy, which is set in ancient Pompeii and based around the hundreds of graffiti the actual inhabitants left behind. He has also penned numerous historical non-fiction books such as ‘What Have The Romans Ever Done For Us?’ ‘The Priest Hunters’ and ‘Fierce History.’ Formerly a multi-award winning creative director of an advertising agency, he quit the business a decade ago for his first professional love, writing. He has had a fascination with the ancient Roman world since childhood, and has researched extensively in Rome, Pompeii, Ostia Antica, El-Jem in Tunisia, Arles in France and Italica in Spain. He also has a love of history in general, and is particularly interested in exploring the lives and stories of the past’s lesser known, yet no less fascinating, men and women. When not writing or travelling he enjoys hillwalking, and has climbed every mountain in Ireland. He lives in Dublin with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 29, 2013
One of the strangest aspects of Irish history is how the Great Famine of 1845-47 has been overlooked - something in the national psyche has made us - if not forget - then unwilling to think too much about.
This novel (and it is a novel, although closely following the events of those years) brings to life the awfulness of those times.
In parts harrowing and uplifting, it follows the paths taken by two brothers, whose lives are shaped in different ways by the hunger and injustice visited upon them during the Great Famine of the 1840s. These events, and the cruelly indifferent colonial rule that contributed to them, still shape Ireland today.
This novel illuminates those terrible times while providing a unique insight into the lives of those who suffered and those who survived.
And it manages to do all of this by way of a story that's both gripping and informative - no mean feat bearing in mind the subject matter and the emotions it can still evoke today.
A novel that will stick in my memory for a very long time.
This novel (and it is a novel, although closely following the events of those years) brings to life the awfulness of those times.
In parts harrowing and uplifting, it follows the paths taken by two brothers, whose lives are shaped in different ways by the hunger and injustice visited upon them during the Great Famine of the 1840s. These events, and the cruelly indifferent colonial rule that contributed to them, still shape Ireland today.
This novel illuminates those terrible times while providing a unique insight into the lives of those who suffered and those who survived.
And it manages to do all of this by way of a story that's both gripping and informative - no mean feat bearing in mind the subject matter and the emotions it can still evoke today.
A novel that will stick in my memory for a very long time.
February 15, 2025
This was a challenging read for several reasons, mostly that there are so many heart wrenching stories but also the sheer weight of the physical book. It is beautifully written, and maybe it was the recent Ireland trip making me extra nerdy, but there is a very glaring right side and wrong side. The history of nonviolent protests should be something we share with as many people as possible given the state of affairs in the world. Trying to think several steps ahead, And about the unintended consequences a wrong action can have.
February 26, 2013
Far more engaging than I expected from an "historical" novel. The newspaper snippets to begin each chapter really help to anchor you in the reality of the situation. But it's a really well written and moving work of fiction. I've given 5 stars as for its genre it really is that good.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews